It was in the year 1764 when the Treaty at Niagara took place. This event served to ratify the 1763 Royal Proclamation, commonly thought of as Canada’s first constitutional document. In actuality, the 1763 Royal Proclamation is only one of Canada’s first constitutional documents. Because successive governments of Canada have promoted a particular version of history – a fiction of two founding nations – the broader Canadian public may be unaware of the significant roles Indigenous Nations held in Canada’s creation.

Indian Superintendent William Johnson called the congress of 1764 as a means to congeal the interests of several different nations of the newly emerging society: British, French, Anishinaabe (Algonquin, Nipissing, Mississauga, Odawa, Ojibway…), Haudenosaunee (Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora), Wendat (Huron), Cree, and many more Indigenous nations. Johnson was concerned about Anishinaabe Chief Pontiac whose freedom fighting actions resulted in the death of many European settlers and the destruction of a number of British forts. In addition, Johnson had to safely secure the land holdings of the French people who had settled in Lower Canada, part of which is Algonquin Anishinaabe traditional territory. The Algonquin and Nipissing Anishinaabe Nations were commissioned by Johnson as runners for the 1764 congress. As constitutional delegates the Algonquin and Nipissing Nations travelled the land and waterscapes with a printed copy of the Royal Proclamation as well as with several strings of white wampum to signify peace and invite all of the surrounding Nations to attend. Due to the success of these constitutional delegates well over 2,000 Chiefs from the Great Lakes region attended.

To guarantee the successful ratification of the Royal Proclamation, to ensure a clear understanding as well as to codify the historic event at Niagara, Johnson relied on Indigenous practices of wampum diplomacy and its inherent forms of symbolic literacy. During the ratification process Johnson presented two Wampum Belts to the Anishinaabe. These two Belts are known as The British and Western Great Lakes Covenant Chain Confederacy Wampum Belt and The Twenty Four Nations Wampum Belt. The former Belt codified a relationship between equal allies that was as strong as links in a chain, a relationship that required a process of polishing and re-polishing what may tarnish, just as silver tarnishes. The latter Belt represented the Indigenous Nations that participated at the Treaty at Niagara, where the chain secured around the rock, running through the twenty four Nations’ hands, and attached to a British vessel, and represented the negotiating process Indigenous Nations were to take to ensure their equal share of the resources and bounty of the land.

In turn, Indigenous Nations also gave Johnson a Wampum Belt: the Two Row Wampum Belt. This Belt codified a nation-to-nation relationship rooted in the philosophy and practice of non-interference mediated by peace, friendship, and respect.

Through offering The British and Western Great Lakes Covenant Chain Confederacy Wampum Belt and The Twenty Four Nations Wampum Belt to the Indigenous Nations and through accepting the Two Row Wampum Belt, the British accepted a nation-to-nation relationship rooted in a policy of non-interference. This nation-to-nation relationship applied to matters such as Indigenous Nations’ right to self-government, their right to define their own citizenship laws, as well as their right to an equal distribution of land and resources required to self-govern. Clearly these three Wampum Belts embody Indigenous agency as sovereign Nations versus subjects of the British.

Although many Canadians are unaware, in conjunction with the 1763 Royal Proclamation these three Wampum Belts and the knowledge they codify are also Canada’s first constitutional documents and thus an important element of Canada’s history that must be respected and honoured in practice. Certainly in Indigenous Nations’ continued quest for self-determination the knowledge of this nation-to-nation relationship lives on in our hearts, minds, and practices. In the contemporary context the knowledge codified in these three constitutional documents translates to the need for the governments of Canada to respect and commit to a nation-to-nation relationship and provide Indigenous Nations with their rightful share of the necessary land and resources that allows for our financial, jurisdictional, and administrative independence for as long as the sun shines and the rivers flow. This constitutional relationship ratified at Niagara, as Kiera L. Ladner has argued, is known as Treaty Federalism.

To create a larger space for an Indigenous hegemony, one where our right to self-determination and mino-pimadiziwin resides at the core, I have constructed new editions of these three historic Wampum Belts or alternatively stated these three constitutional documents. It is important that these three Wampum Belts be valued as “new editions” versus merely as “reproductions” as indeed the original meaning of a nation-to-nation non-interfering relationship remains intact in the minds and hearts of Indigenous people. I completed this task through the time-honoured and ancient traditions of Anishinaabe ways of knowing and being such as Elders, tobacco, storytelling, and learning by doing. Elder, language speaker, and ceremonialist Doug Williams offered tobacco asking me to learn the knowledge of these three Wampum Belts. I also received Wampum Belt instructions from Elder, language speaker, and ceremonialist Grandfather William Commanda.

Prior to beginning my process of weaving these three Wampum Belts I also learned from the knowledge and wisdom of others such as Annie Cooper, Paul Williams, Anishinaabe historian Alan Corbiere, and Anishinaabe legal scholar John Borrows. In addition, in weaving these three Wampum Belts I relied upon descriptions and sketches found in the historic literature. Along my journey I made tobacco offerings, paid particular attention to my dreams, and smudged all the necessary elements required. To wrap and protect my Wampum Belts my brother, Dennis, was kind and gifted me with both a bear pelt and a moose hide harvested from traditional Algonquin Anishinaabe territory. When I completed the entire task I feasted my new knowledge bundle to honour its spirit. In re-building this Treaty at Niagara Wampum Bundle I have articulated the knowledge our ancestors carefully embodied in the hearts and minds of the Indigenous peoples. The year 2014 marks the 250th anniversary of the 1764 Treaty at Niagara, the event that ratified Canada’s constitutional beginnings.

My goal is to go on tour with my Treaty at Niagara Wampum Bundle. If you and your organization/institution are interested in learning more, please contact me.

Hello, This is a great thing you are doing. Please let me know if you have plans to be in Saskatchewan. I am part of a very small group of INM supporters and we would be interested in a presentation. Thanks

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Lynn Gehl

5/16/2013 12:43:22 am

Miigwetch Kate. I am not sure if I will be out that way anytime soon. Lynn

I have no idea what you are getting at here. Please tell me more. Lynn

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Lynn Gehl

5/16/2013 12:44:06 am

Miigwetch Lynn

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Matthew

5/2/2013 06:30:49 am

In the piece, you state, "It is important that these three Wampum Belts be valued as “new editions” versus merely as “reproductions” as indeed the original meaning of a nation-to-nation non-interfering relationship remains intact in the minds and hearts of Indigenous people."

I think my ignorance of a semantic distinction between 'new edition' and 'reproduction' is at the root of my not being able to quite follow how the latter statement justifies the former. Why would these being a reproduction not fit with a nation to nation understanding of the cultural relationship? Does 'new edition' not imply an updating of the text, and indicate that they couldn't be considered historically faithful to the original documents? Could you elaborate?

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Lynn Gehl

5/2/2013 12:27:35 pm

My point is that just because they are not the originals - they are important. The word "reproduction" implies not important. Lynn

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Matthew

5/22/2013 04:39:37 am

Many thanks. This is fantastic work.

I'd be very much interested in seeing the belts if your tour brought you to Vancouver.

Maggie King

5/2/2013 10:35:45 am

This is great! Wampum belts are precious constitutional records!!! Imbedded knowledge of historical relationships that bonded indigenous nations in peace and coexistence.

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Lynn Gehl

5/16/2013 12:45:29 am

Miigwetch Maggie, I am glad you enjoy wampum belts as I do. Lynn

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Shannon chief

9/10/2013 04:56:08 am

I was up in the Iroquois nation not long ago, and a few men and i discussed about the renewal of the Treaty made with Algonquins and Iroquois nations. french and dutch in about 1645.. they had asked for a renewal for the treaty we have with the Two Row Wampum, and the Friendship belt to get back in that communications which was lost throught the colonization and assimilation of our people.. I m a Sacred messenger to Traditional elders in our area so we has met with the their nation a few years back..today we still remain in communication with them, but what is needed is our Algonquin nation to unify as one to redo our ways of life again with the wampums as our guide..

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wes elliott

5/3/2013 01:21:23 am

Being Haudenosaunee, I wonder if it was us who again gave the crown the two row. This year we commemorate 400 years of the two row. To my knowledge, this is a Haudenosaunee belt. And to my knowledge, was not a shared belt with other native nations. Also the boat canoe interpretation is only a partial meaning of that belt. Among other meanings, it represents the original contract of life, the twins in our creation story and the relationship between a man and a woman.

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Lynn Gehl

5/3/2013 04:11:23 am

I am not sure who actually handed the Two Row Wampum belt over. I admit I am not too concerned with these kinds of details that may be important to others. I do think, though, that relying on human memory or historical records has limitations in determining Truth. In terms an orthodox reading of any belt - we need to understand that meaning is always fluid across both space and time. The main thing being conveyed is the philosophy of nation-to-nation and I am sure we agree about the importance of this. Lynn

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Curtis

5/3/2013 10:27:00 am

Great article, thank you. It's very helpful to me as a non-indigenous Canadian.

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Lynn Gehl

5/16/2013 12:41:44 am

Miigwetch Curtis.

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Mike Walker

5/9/2013 09:52:20 am

Great article, I have always loved history. This is the type of information that I should have received in public school.

I have the honour of being selected as one of the 200 paddlers for the Two Row Wampum Renewal Campaign paddle from Albany to New York City this summer. I expect to learn a lot about this 400 year old wampum and the treaty with the Dutch who were the first Europeans to settle there. I believe there will be ceremonies and/or teachings every day of the two week paddle.

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Jay Bailey

6/26/2013 06:44:13 am

Thank you for the thorough research you have done on this. It seems clear that Johnson must have drawn on knowledge of previous treaties amongst First Nations and perhaps even the 1613 one with the Dutch which, from the organization of our paddle, appears to have been made mostly with the Onondaga nation.

I want to thank you for sharing this information and I in turn will share it on my FB.I doubt most people don't have a clue about this ,I know I didn't.I think in 2014 that there should be another gathering at the original site,where this took place,of all the nations,to show Canada that it renigged on its part and needs to do something about this.We need to honor the original agreement and take heed of all the abuses that have been dished out to our aboriginal sister's and brother's.It's not right how they have been treated and are still being treated.I have very little aboriginal blood in my veins,but its enough to horrify me at what I see being done to the nations.My fathers father came from Ireland and what was taking place there was very bad.The people of that Country were deliberately driven out of their Country and forced to find new lands to live.Its an upsetting history and I have always wanted to go there,to the place I should've been born.I am proud of my heritages as I think everybody has a right to be.I am Celtic,but don't know my native language.and its something I see in my aboriginal friends as well,which I think is wrong.I am not extremely educated,but I say what I see ,taking place in our world.Please forgive me for going on and on ,but it breaks my heart to see a people who have to constantly fight,to have the freedom to live their way of life,when that's the way it should've been all these years gone by.Thank you again for sharing this important information,I will make sure I pass this on.

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Gregory Castro

6/27/2013 03:33:27 am

hello Lynn
just wanted to thank you, it's a beautiful song and my heart searches for the truth of our existence, I find more information on your side of the border my home is in the Desert of California my mother was taken from a neglected home in Oklahoma at 4 and adopted at 5 by French Canadian couple.
It's troubling to see native peoples still fighting to keep their land and way of life

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Rob Brown

6/30/2013 09:00:30 am

TheImage of Two Row Wampum is very interesting in itself. I have seen a purple flag, with what appears to be beading, in the form of boxes. Is that connected to Two Row Wampum in any way?

Meanwhile, back to re-read your post.

Thnx.

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Rob Brown

7/2/2013 01:32:49 pm

Sorry about the above — I discovered last night in my reading I am referring to the Iroquois flag. Live and learn.

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Rob Brown

7/2/2013 01:58:18 pm

I knew a bit about 1763, and a bit about the French-English treaties, but I very much appreciate all this updating on the Royal Proclamation, and its place in Section 25 of the Constitution Act (1982). From the settler perspective, I feel it is important to recall our history, and the 1763 proclamation was an important part of that. Perhaps July1, 2014 Canadians could do something about that) though there may be a better day). Where does the planning start? How can settlers participate in that?

The more we all become aware of the actual history between the colonial apparatus and the original nations of this land the better everyone will be in the long run. Its a slow process of revelation. One thing I am certain a sacred trust of the land that nourishes us and keeps us alive imaged between peoples is a deeply sacred event not ever to be taken lightly. No good can come from violating, neglecting or ignoring them. Chi miigwetch for you journey and your care in assembling what you have learned to share with everyone.